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Providing nicotine dependence treatment to psychiatric inpatients: the views of Australian nurse managers
Author(s) -
WYE P.,
BOWMAN J.,
WIGGERS J.,
BAKER A.,
CARR V.,
TERRY M.,
KNIGHT J.,
CLANCY R.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1365-2850
pISSN - 1351-0126
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2009.01524.x
Subject(s) - nicotine dependence , psychiatry , nicotine , medicine , psychological intervention , respondent , nicotine replacement therapy , addiction , smoking cessation , nursing , family medicine , pathology , political science , law
Accessible summary• The rates of smoking in mental health inpatient settings remains high. This study aims to describe the views of nurse managers in mental health inpatient settings regarding providing smoking‐related care to patients, and whether these views are associated with the types of nicotine dependence treatment that is provided. • A survey was mailed to all public mental health inpatient units in New South Wales, Australia, to be completed by nurse managers. • Factors that impact on patients were considered to have a high level of influence on the type of nicotine dependence treatment provided. Many nurse managers said they provided smoking care if the patient requested assistance to quit (58%), and if the patient's health improved with quitting (45%). • Nurse managers who thought that nicotine dependence treatment was as important as other roles were more likely to provide smoking care compared with units whose manager did not hold this view. • While the results indicate strong support for providing nicotine dependence treatment, this support depends on patient readiness to quit, suggesting care is provided selectively rather than routinely. Encouraging a view of smoking as an addiction requiring treatment may increase the likelihood of nicotine dependence treatment being provided in mental health inpatient settings.Abstract The prevalence of smoking in psychiatric settings remains high. This study aims to describe the views of nurse managers in psychiatric inpatient settings regarding the provision of nicotine dependence treatment, and whether there were associations between such views and the provision of nicotine dependence treatment. A cross‐sectional survey was mailed to all public psychiatric inpatient units in New South Wales, Australia, for completion by nurse managers. Of the identified 131 service units, 123 completed questionnaires were returned (94%). Patient‐related factors were considered to have a high level of influence on the provision of nicotine dependence treatment: patients requesting assistance to quit (58%), patients being receptive to interventions (52%), and patient health improving with quitting (45%). Units where the respondent reported that nicotine dependence treatment was as important as other roles were more likely to provide nicotine dependence treatment compared to units whose respondents did not hold this view (OR = 0.257, d.f. = 1, P < 0.01). While the results indicate strong support for the provision of nicotine dependence treatment, this support appears qualified by perceived patient readiness to quit, suggesting care is provided selectively rather than systematically. Positioning smoking as an addiction requiring treatment within a traditional curative approach may lead to a health service more conducive to the routine provision of nicotine dependence treatment.